How much will I be able to eat?
The band reduces the amount of food that can be held in the stomach. If you overeat and overfill the smaller sized stomach you are likely to experience some discomfort and will probably vomit.
The exact amount that you will be able to eat will vary between individual and will be affected by:
- the amount of fluid in the band
- the length of time since the last inflation
- the amount and type of foods eaten previously
- psychological factors such as stress or anxiety
- changes in hormone levels due to your menstrual cycle or pregnancy.
After several inflations most people report that they can only manage a bread-and-butter plate-sized meal and, possibly, half of a dessert, at any one time.
How often will I be able to eat?
How frequently people can eat also varies between individuals.
After several inflations most people report that they can only manage about 3 small meals throughout the day.
Is there anything I won’t be able to eat?
Most lapbanders report difficulty eating some types of food. Some food is hard to get down the oesophagus and may actually get stuck.
If food gets stuck you will probably experience severe pain and possibly nausea. You may be able to move the food by either drinking liquid and/or forcing yourself to vomit.
Individuals vary in their tolerance to different types of food with the band. However, there do appear to be some foods which are generally found to be less digestible with the Band.
Most people report difficulties digesting red meat, dry white meats and doughy breads.
In order to be able to eat both red and white meats most Lapbanders serve them with sauces or gravies which can aid digestion.
Some people report difficulties digesting a variety of fruits and vegetables, particularly those which are stringy (like rhubarb and celery) or have skins (such as apples and tomatoes). Partially cooked root vegetables can also be a problem.
Is it possible to get a balanced healthy diet?
Given the reductions in the amounts and types of food that can be ingested, it is difficult to meet all of your daily nutritional requirements through diet alone.
It is important to either have some nutritional knowledge, or work with a competent dietician, in order to optimise your post-band diet.
The surgeon may recommend multivitamin supplementation. A nutritional assessment by the dietician will give an indication about the appropriate needs for the long term.
Will the band change the way that I eat?
The band not only changes the amounts and frequency of your eating, it demands that all foods be chewed very well before being swallowed. This means Lapbanders eat far more slowly than people without the band.
It is recommended that every mouthful be chewed approximately 20 times before being swallowed and that each meal span at least 20 minutes to give the body time to send signals to the brain about how full the stomach is.
In addition to eating slowly, it is recommended that lapbanders refrain from drinking with their meals.
Although it may be physically possible to drink and eat with the band, the practice is discouraged because it allows any food eaten to pass through the band more quickly and therefore reduces the sensation of fullness making people hungry faster.
Will I still be able to eat out?
The Lapband does not prevent you from dining out socially.
The only difference with the band is that you will have to select your meal carefully (given your individual tolerances) and then you will probably only be able to eat a portion of it over a longer period of time.
Most Lapbanders choose a meal from the Entrée selection on the menu and then share a dessert with a partner or friend.
Will I be still be able to eat what the rest of my family eats?
Depending on your family's individual likes and dislikes, you shouldn't have to prepare separate meals for yourself.
You may need to make a few changes to the way food is prepared and the size of the servings, but you should still be able to eat a wide variety of foods along with the rest of the family.
I've heard that I may experience episodes of vomiting or regurgitation with the Lapband. What is this like and how often does it happen?
The vomiting, or regurgitation, experienced by Lapbanders is quite different from the vomiting you experience with a tummy bug. For a start, you don't get that awful feeling of nausea! It also differs because you usually bring up a much smaller amount of food which has not yet gone through the band and been digested.
How often it happens depends on a number of factors - some of which you have more control over than others. You can usually prevent an episode of vomiting/regurgitation by making sure that you eat foods that you know your body can tolerate both very slowly and in limited amounts.
There are times, however, when previously tolerated foods, which have been eaten carefully, are regurgitated. This can happen when you are stressed, anxious, in a hurry or have a fluctuation in your hormone levels.
The exact level of vomiting/regurgitation is different for everyone and impossible to predict prior to surgery. There are some Lapbanders who report that they have never vomited or regurgitated as a result of the Lapband. Others report episodes as regularly as once or twice a week.
Will I notice a reduction in my energy levels?
Lapbanders report an increase, rather than a decrease, in energy levels.
A sensible eating plan combined with the multivitamins appears sufficient to maintain an active healthy lifestyle.
Any reduction in the caloric intake appears to be dramatically outweighed by the additional energy which comes from the dramatic reduction in weight usually associated with the Band.
You should be able to maintain and actually improve the lifestyle and exercise programme that you enjoyed prior to the band.
Will the band affect what I can drink?
Although individual experiences differ, many Lapbanders report difficulties with carbonated drinks. As the capacity of the stomach is so reduced, ingesting fizzy drinks can cause people to experience problems with gas.
In order to restrict caloric intake, the manufacturers of the band recommend that people refrain from drinking liquids which contain calories (including fruit juices, alcohol and fizzy drinks).
Will the band affect how I drink?
Most lapbanders report that the Band restricts how quickly you can drink with the band. The band forces people to gradually sip at a drink, rather than ingest it in large gulps.
To maximise the effectiveness of the band, it is recommended that people refrain from drinking half an hour before a meal and one hour after a meal.
Will the band affect how much I can drink?
The amount of liquid that can be ingested will depend upon the individual, the amount of fluid in the band and the time since their last inflation.
Given the physical limitations associated with drinking, most people who have high levels of fluid in their band report difficulty in being able to ingest the recommended minimum 8 glasses of water throughout the day.
In order to maximise their fluid intake, most Lapbanders carry around water in sipper bottles which they gradually drink throughout the day.
Will I be able to feel the LapBand around my stomach?
No. You will not be aware of the band. Once you are fully recovered from your surgery you are likely to feel exactly as you did prior to the surgery.
After you have lost some weight you may notice a small bump at the port site.
I have trouble leaving food on my plate. Is this likely to cause problems for me after surgery?
All of your established habits and thought patterns will survive the Lapband and will need to be dealt with after surgery.
However, many Lapbanders report that the combination of feeling full after eating a relatively small amount and knowing how uncomfortable things can be if they overindulge do often make it easier to leave food on their plates.
Will I need plastic surgery on the surplus skin when I have lost a lot of weight?
Plastic surgery to remove excess skin is not usually necessary.
Normally the skin is sufficiently elastic to mould itself around the new body tissue. It is recommended that patients allow the skin the time it needs before deciding to have more surgery.
As a rule plastic surgery should not be considered until at least 2-5 years after the operation.
For more information regarding skin elasticity and plastic surgery check out our Lapbander Tips section "Minimising Flabby Skin and Scarring".
